Mark Zahra
Mark Zahra (born 19 May 1982)[1] is an Australian jockey who is notable for having won the Melbourne Cup on Without A Fight in 2023 and on Gold Trip in 2022, as well as the Caulfield Cup on Without A Fight in 2023 and on Verry Elleegant in 2020. He is the ninth jockey to ride back to back Melbourne Cup winners.
Racing career
Mark Zahra started his racing career in Western Australia and started his apprenticeship with Dean White. His first raceday ride was on Wail Spring on Boxing Day 1998 at Geraldton Racecourse. He won his first race at the same track on 1 March 1999 on Winrosy. He then moved to Victoria to work for Brian Cox at Wodonga and later with Tony McEvoy at Lindsay Park.
Controversially, Mark Zahra was also found guilty of reckless riding and suspended for 29 meetings after causing a serious spinal injury to jockey Danny Brereton in a fall from Marquee Player in the Mitchell Mackenzie stakes in Moonee Valley in August 2010. Brereton is still severely disabled and to this day is only able to walk with the assistance of a walking aid.
Zahra's first Group 1 victory was in the 2006 Doomben Cup on Above Deck, trained by Jim Conlan. As of early December 2023, he has ridden 1,359 winners, including 28 in group 1 races.[1]
Major wins
International wins
- 2004 Raffles Cup in Singapore on Mayo's Music
Australian wins
- 2006 Doomben Cup on Above Deck
- 2008 T J Smith Stakes on Rockdale
- 2017 Coolmore Stud Stakes on Merchant Navy
- 2018 Australian Derby on Levendi
- 2018 VRC Sprint Classic on Santa Ana Lane
- 2019 Caulfield Guineas on Super Seth
- 2019 T J Smith Stakes on Santa Ana Lane
- 2019 Zipping Classic on Southern France[3]
- 2020 Turnbull Stakes on Verry Elleegant
- 2020 Caulfield Cup on Verry Elleegant[4]
- 2022 C F Orr Stakes on Tofane[5]
- 2022 Melbourne Cup on Gold Trip[6]
- 2023 Turnbull Stakes on Gold Trip[7]
- 2023 Caulfield Cup on Without A Fight[8]
- 2023 Melbourne Cup on Without A Fight[9]
- 2024 Australian Oaks on Autumn Angel
References
- ^ a b "Mark Zahra". Racing.com. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
- ^ Richards - @richowp, Paul. "Q&A with Mark Zahra". RACING.COM.
- ^ "Southern France wins WFA Zipping Classic". www.skyracingworld.com.
- ^ Eddy - @fastisheddy, Andrew. "Verry Elleegant wins Caulfield Cup". RACING.COM.
- ^ "Zahra wins Group 1 then bolts for Super Bowl - Racenet". racenet.com.au. 12 February 2022.
- ^ Walsh, Courtney (1 November 2022). "Gold Trip wins 2022 Melbourne Cup as jockey Mark Zahra gains redemption" – via The Guardian.
- ^ "Gold Trip earns fresh Cox Plate tilt | RACING.COM". www.racing.com.
- ^ Wu, Damien Ractliffe, Andrew (21 October 2023). "Mark Zahra's wife kept a secret. After the jockey won the Caulfield Cup, she finally told him". The Age.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Melbourne Cup 2023: Without A Fight wins as WA jockey Mark Zahra claims back-to-back victories". The West Australian.